It's not a good year to be married: Force Majeure

I'm still catching up with many of my written review but here's another one now off the list.

You can watch my youtube review HERE!!!

Marriage, the magical union between two people that seems to be under attack as of late. Gone Girl dealt the first blow and now Force Majeure has come with the second and it's a knock out. Directed by Ruben Ostlund, the Swedish film stars Johannes Kuhnke as Tomas and Lisa Loven Kongsli as Ebba, a married couple with children whose relationship comes under intense strain after a close call with an avalanche. What started the strain was that Tomas ran off with his phone leaving Ebba facing the avalanche alone with their kids.

Now this is a venomous film as the questions it raises do not only infect the characters on screen but also the audience and husbands in particular will not enjoy having the answer them. Did Tomas runaway because he doesn't care about his family? Was it just the flight reaction instead fight? Was he subconsciously going with the intention of coming back and digging them out? Whatever the reason (most likely flight) it doesn't matter because it has already created doubt which is one of the most dangerous things for a relationship.

Ruben Ostlund directs this film with confidence and a steady hand also admitting taking notes from Kubick's The Shining and though Force Majeure isn't a horror movie I find it far more frightening. It is honestly one of the most frightening films of the year and makes your stomach churn in many different ways;  a scene involving a bus and a hill will definitely have you clinging to your seat. His actors give fantastic performances though the script can be rather heavy-handed at times and the wife becomes a bit one note to the point where we no longer sympathise with her, in fact she almost becomes the villain.

The cinematography is quite gorgeous with fantastic compositions and the use of static long takes is absolutely brilliant and gives no chance of escape from the overwhelming feelings the film brings. The use of music or lack thereof is also fantastic but the true brilliance is the simplicity of the idea behind the film and just how venomous it is (insert inception joke here). If you're in a relationship be warned that seeing this film will bring up questions between you and your partner that you may not want to answer but it is a fantastic film and watching it may be worth the uncomfortable conversation afterwards.

4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Let me known your thoughts in the comments below.